At Risk
by McAbbyAddict
Summary: What if Gibbs didn't get off the elevator when he did? What are the repercussions for Abby and the team? Episode tag for season 4, episode 10, 'Driven'. Spoiler alert for Driven. McAbby overtones but mostly team fic.


**Author's note: Welcome to my newest story! As you can see, it's based on the season 4 episode 'Driven'. I got to thinking how it might turn out if Gibbs didn't enter the garage when he did...**

**Thanks goes to Trina109 for her beta services, and the title!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing NCIS. Unless you count 9 seasons of DVDs and Bert (he was a birthday present. Yay!)**

"You only wish I was still sexually harassing you." Abby smirked at him as he pulled her to her feet. Behind her back, where he was sure she couldn't see him, McGee grimaced. Abby Scuito was hard to shake. He'd be fine, think that he was perfectly okay with their just being friends, then she'd say something like that and it'd bring it all back.

He picked up the headphones he needed to review the tapes, realising as he connected them that the battery for the noise cancelling feature was missing. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to run without it. The evidence garage wasn't particularly noisy today, and the headphones were well insulated from the ambient sound even without noise cancelling. He settled them over his ears and started the first recording.

It was during the gap between the first and second recording that he heard the faint rumble. Ripping the headphones off, he spun around to see Otto's cabin filled with smoke. He lunged for the door handle, yanking on it. Through the haze he could see Abby slumped over in the passenger seat. His heart pounding, he grabbed the fire extinguisher off the wall, pulled the emergency switch and used the base of the extinguisher to smash the glass and hit the kill switch. He dragged Abby's limp form out of the vehicle and frantically checked for signs of life.

She wasn't breathing. Quickly he laid his fingers on her neck, hoping that he'd feel a pulse, faint or otherwise, but there was nothing. In growing horror, he made sure her mouth was clear, noticing in passing that her lips were bright red even under her usual makeup. He racked his memory, suddenly thankful that the agency insisted they undergo annual CPR recertification. Counting off to 30 in his mind, he scrambled around to Abby's head and sealed his mouth over hers, giving her two breaths.

"I need some help over here!" McGee screamed over his shoulder as he moved back to chest compressions, not pausing in his attempt to resuscitate Abby to check if anyone was moving. "Damn it Abby, don't you die on me. C'mon, breathe!"

He switched from compressing her chest to blowing air into her lungs, desperately checking for any signs of life. He was aware suddenly of someone else taking over the job of chest compressions, glancing up to see who it was. He was oddly reassured to see it was Gibbs. Gibbs wouldn't let Abby die.

"Tony, call 911!" Gibbs barked over his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, McGee saw the senior field agent scramble.

...

The ambulance took a long time in coming.

By the time the EMTs arrived, McGee's whole world seemed to have contracted to what he was doing at that moment. Count the compressions. Seal his mouth over Abby's. Breathe, willing her chest to rise, for her to cough, to open her eyes, for the dreadful cherry-red colour to fade from her lips. And all the time his mind was screaming for her to live, as if by force of will he could make it so.

The EMTs had to practically elbow him aside so they could work on Abby. He watched, part numb, part horrified, as they attached a portable defibrillator to her chest and shocked her heart before putting a tube down her throat and scooping her up onto the gurney. "What happened?" one of them snapped at him as they moved past.

He regained his wits long enough to answer. "Carbon monoxide poisoning." And then the other EMT was gesturing towards him, beckoning for him to climb into the ambulance with them. His feet felt like concrete. He broke into a shambling run and half clambered, half fell through the open ambulance door.

He fixed his eyes on Abby's face. He should've been quicker. Should've noticed the engine running sooner. Should've done... something.

"I should've done more." He didn't realise he'd said it out loud until one of the EMTs looked at him.

"You did everything you could, sir. You kept her breathing till we got there, kept her heart going."

"It should never have happened in the first place!" McGee snapped back. He lapsed into silence, watching the rise and fall of Abby's chest as the tube down her throat forced air into her lungs. Reaching out, he took her limp hand in his.

"Don't die, Abs. I love you."


End file.
